


Dual Healing

by Wii4all



Category: Epithet Erased (Cartoon)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:34:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22427911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wii4all/pseuds/Wii4all
Summary: While Sylvie has been making a remarkable recovery in the hospital with the help of both the medical staff and the occasional visit from his friend Molly, he couldn't help but notice that she has grown more stressed with each visit. Therefore, he takes it upon himself to bring work from his office with his latest encounter with Molly.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 104





	Dual Healing

**Author's Note:**

> Just a small idea I had. Not sure how it will stick, but I hope it'll be worth your while.

Dual Healing

by Wii4all

Sylvie looked out the window of his room at the hospital, laying in bed with a hand over his bandaged chest. While he was bored and slightly frustrated with spending most of his time in bed, he was inwardly relieved by his road to recovery. If what the doctor says is true, he should have one week before he has a clean bill of health. Then he can finally catch up on his backlog of patients in the comfort of his office.

Looking down at his chest with narrowed eyes, he thought back to his confrontation with Mera back at the museum. He never thought that someone with a risky epithet could put up such a fight, let alone steal his own epithet for a brief period of time with the Arsene Amulet. If that wasn't enough, it also reminded him that he never got a chance to study it for himself.

He still bemoans his lost opportunity to this day...

Sylvie heaved a sigh, though twitched in mild pain as he switched his gaze to the ceiling. He thought about counting sheep in an attempt to ignore what's left of his pain. That is, until he heard the door to his room open, prompting him to sit up.

"Sylvie?" Said a young girl's voice. "I hope I wasn't late this time." The voice belonged to none other than his only friend Molly Blyndeff. She was easily recognized by her star studded brown hair and bear hoodie, though he noticed something behind her green eyes other than the tiny bags under them.

Questions can wait for now. The doctor masked his growing concern with a polite smile upon Molly's approach.

"Hey there, Molly. How are you today?" He asked reflexively. There was no way any answer would prove satisfactory for him when he got a better look at Molly. She regarded his question with a smile that seemed strenuous to make (Which is funny, as frowning requires more facial muscles) as she fished out what appeared to be a sheep-themed music box.

"Well, I wanna say I've been better, but you know how it goes with work, right?" She opened the music box and it started to play a familiar song involving lambs. "Do you like it?"

 _Don't dive into doctor mode just yet. Be cool_ , Sylvie thought as he regarded the music box with intrigue. "That is quite the get-well toy you've got there. Can you set it with the others, please?" He looked over at his small collection of toys courtesy of his friend.

Once a week, Molly would grace him with get-well toys to keep his spirits up with each visit. They served their purpose well, considering that four were sheep-themed while one resembled a minotaur. He was touched that she would model one of her toys after Dr. Beefton.

After adding the music box to his collection, Molly made herself comfortable in an empty chair next to Sylvie's bed.

"I hope things are going well for you here, Sylvie. It seems like you've been in here forever." Molly asked with a tinge of sadness.

"No need to fret, Molly. We should be lucky that there are medical professionals with useful healing epithets. Otherwise, I may just be in here for another month rather than one week." Sylvie replied, rubbing his chest. "Mera really did a number on me with that epithet of hers..."

"I'm sure she feels bad about it...I hope." Molly said before blinking. "Wait, you'll be out soon? That's wonderful news!"

"Yes, but I'm still not happy that I've been kept away from my office for so long. Business may have been slow recently, but I still have patients to tend to." Sylvie crosses his arms with a childish pout. "Thought I'd grown out of being a patient myself..." He muttered bitterly. Molly stifled a giggle to avoid hurting his feelings.

"Well, you should be happy to have some time to yourself now and then, even if it's just recovering from a serious injury." Molly said before looking away. Sylvie was quick to acknowledge her body language.

"And how have you been, Molly?" He asked, trying to pass off as casual. "I'm sure you've been enjoying your downtime after our time at the museum." His assumption earned him a small, sad, chuckle. That wasn't good...

"If you could call it that. No, even after I got some rest, I still run the counter after school while my dad makes toys. Of course, I still make time to come here." Molly finished with a smile.

"As long as you know how to manage yourself. We may have different occupations, but I know the effects of an overbearing workload when I see one." Sylvie pointed out. Molly rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah, it has been more of the same since then." She then perked up and waved her hands. "Not that I'm complaining; business has been a bit steady since I came back."

"A bit?" Sylvie arched an eyebrow, expecting a straight answer. Molly was making it hard for him to focus on his own healing process.

"I mean, Dad is still making toys for the store, at least. They sell good, too." Molly explained before looking down. "It seems like it's all he's good at..." She uttered under her breath.

Seeing his only friend like this, Sylvie had enough. He couldn't, in good conscience, choose to sit idly by while someone needs professional help, period of convalescence be damned. The doctor is in! He took a deep breath before giving Molly a serious look.

"Molly..." The troubled girl looked up after hearing her name, seeing a friendly smile grace Sylvie's lips. "Let's call this your free session." Molly's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wh-what? What do you mean?"

"C'mon, you know exactly what I mean." Sylvie's expression changed to one of concern similar to an older brother. "You're clearly swamped in your work, undoubtedly struggling with domestic issues, and both grow worse by the week." He stated firmly before waving a hand around the room. "Besides, we're alone in a safe environment and I have a PhD in psychology. As far as I know, you're in good hands." He paused before his bravado diminished. "The only difference is that I don't have a notebook to use, but I can improvise with my phone, at least." Molly stared as Sylvie reached for his smartphone and used it to go to his notebook app.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Molly asked reluctantly.

"It's the least I can do for a friend." Sylvie responded coolly, earning a smile from Molly. After readying his phone, he was now in professional mode. He cleared his throat and looked over at Molly.

"So Molly, for the sake of this session, I'd like for you to start off by telling me where all this stress began." Sylvie asked, already feeling he was in his element.

"Well, I did tell Giovanni this-"

" _You what!?_ "

Molly stared wide-eyed at Sylvie, who inwardly cursed himself for his outburst before regaining his composure.

"I-I mean, it's good that you're telling others about this. Please continue." The last thing Sylvie wanted was to give off the impression he was hurt that Giovanni heard Molly's story before him.

That doesn't mean that he isn't above one-upping Giovanni with his peerless therapy skills, though.

"It all started when I was younger." Molly continued, albeit meekly. "My parents ran the toy store while caring for my older sister and I. My dad would make the toys and my mom would sell them." She gave a small, nostalgic smile. "It was good back then, because we really were a family. But..."

"But?" Sylvie asked after dutifully typing in what he had gathered from Molly's story thus far. Molly gave a sigh.

"It wasn't until after my mom died that I realized she was the heart of our family. My dad and sister ignored the situation, and we somehow grew apart in the process. Even worse was that no one was doing anything, so I ended up doing most of the work around the shop. Dad and Milly rarely pitch in, since they're apparently _busy_..." She emphasized her last word with a tinge of resentment.

"I see..." Sylvie typed in 'dysfunctional family' into his notes. "So, despite your dad being the owner of the toy store, along with his and your sister's negligence, you still take it upon yourself to work?"

"Someone has to." Molly replied matter-of-factly. "We do need food and a roof over our heads, and while there hasn't been the best of days, I'm still happy to at least follow in my mom's footsteps." Molly gave a small smile.

"Admirable though it may be, it's no less concerning that it's taking a lot out of you, especially since you're balancing your work with school and your personal life." Sylvie stated firmly. "Ever since you walked in, I've noticed signs of fatigue on your face, and that's on top of your unresolved domestic issues." He took a deep breath to stave off any rant he was about to get into. "I would suggest making it a point to sit your family down and talk with them about this whole situation. Failing that, I can always take matters into my own hands, if allowed."

"How would you manage that?" Molly cocked her head on one side.

"By giving _them_ a free session of their own." Sylvie straightened his glasses with an accomplished smirk. "It's very clear to me that their negligence to both the toy store and your health stems from the death of your mother, and it should fall to a professional to help them confront this sensitive topic."

"As much as I would appreciate that, you would have your work cut out for you." Molly replied with a wry grin.

"I love a good challenge, especially when it pertains to my field." Sylvie set down his smartphone and gave another serious look. "Even more so when my friend's health - physical and mental - is on the line."

Molly stared until she felt a tear run down her face. She sniffled and wiped it away before beaming at the young doctor.

"Thank you so much, Sylvie." Molly said as she collected herself.

"No problem. This _is_ my job, after all." Sylvie nodded with a friendly smile. "Once I have a clean bill of health, I'll make it a point to reach out to you and discuss how to better approach this. Provided we both have free time, of course."

"I'd like that." A buzzing sound was heard in Molly's hoodie, and she fished out her own smartphone, gasping at the screen. "Oh my gosh! I better get going." Molly rose from her seat and stashed away her phone. "I'm sorry I can't stick around."

"It's no problem at all, Molly. The way I see it, we're both on our respective roads to recovery." Sylvie held out his hand for a handshake, still in professional mode. "This session is over, and I hope to see you again in the future."

Sylvie didn't anticipate two things from his endeavor: The first being that he'd get to know his friend on a deeper level, or that rather than shake his hand, Molly was quick to give him a hug.

"Thanks again, Sylvie." He heard Molly's soft voice.

"N-No problem. Ow...Um, Molly?" He mewled in pain as his ribs were . Molly broke the embrace after hearing her friend and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry...I hope to see you again, too." Molly said, her spirit rekindled. After sharing a wave, Molly left the room to go back to her toy store.

Sylvie laid back with one hand behind his head and the other on his chest, looking back out at the window and the sun in the sky. He could hardly contain the smile on his face after performing a successful therapy session while in bed rest. The only thought on his mind was...

_Beat that, Giovanni..._

**The End**


End file.
